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12 year old kids, large ponies, and the "best" attire

I'm silly excited, but trying not to get TOO excited yet, since it isn't official. But, it looks very likely that the family who now owns our farm will be buying the blonde pony I've been competing a little this summer and marketing for another client. I LOVE this pony (he's the pony I never had as a kid) and I practically had the family's youngest on him as soon as he stepped off the trailer onto his new home (ok...not quite. But kid's dad was eager to get the kid up on him after seeing how great he was at Surefire, and considering St. Spike was having a minor mental breakdown when dad and boy wanted to go for their first hack, I suggested blonde pony...my evil ploy has worked! ).

Anyway, the kid has ridden the blonde pony 4 times over the weekend and they are a HIT (two little boys who want to run and jump. What could be more perfect?). It is a great match and the right step up in mounts from St. Spike (who is perfect in his own way, but NOT a show horse). There's lots of chatter of first events. This is a no brainer for everyone...pony is practically a packer at BN/N and the kid is a good little rider despite lack of saddle time. He's already had two lessons on the pony and asked for a third as he was putting the pony away today. I think he's thinking eventing boot camp.

All this is great, but I'm befuddled at how to approach dressing this kid. How do you dress 12 year olds on large ponies for eventing? Tall boots? Jodphurs and paddock boots? I realize this is a little more of an issue in the hunter rings (where there is some tradition or strategy to who wears what when and on what), but don't know if it carries over at all to the event world. Budget isn't an issue, but everyone is very practical (as in, he's going to grow out of everything we buy...he's grown out of 2 pair of paddock boots since his first pair two years ago, and is rapidly growing out of his saddle). All the rest I can handle- he's got a good helmet, we'll get him a vest in pretty short order, we'll probably get him a coat and tie (Dad is a firm believer in "Coats earn you points" ). But what do we put on his FEET?!

I don't see jodhpurs at events hardly at all. Pretty much a hunter ring thing, I think. I'd put him in paddocks and a nice pair of half-chaps (the ones that look like tall boots, not the suede ones, and are approved to show in) and that way as he grows it's cheaper to swap out the various parts. You could also put him in full boots, but some boys may prefer half chaps for awhile.

Wouldn't jodhpurs and paddock boots be illegal? I don't think the rulebook makes an exception for kids, and you might as well be safe? Twelve is sort of the borderline age where even in the hunter ring, you would be graduating to field boots anyway...

"Why would anybody come here if they had a pony? Who leaves a country packed with ponies to come to a non-pony country? It doesn't make sense!"

Here, I'd go for short boots and jodhs for dressage and add gaiters / chaps (made entirely of smooth leather) for jumping. Eventing runs pretty much to traditional standards and pony riders should wear short boots. If he's really tall, you could do the gaiters for dressage too, but check your rules for junior riders.

Do you have any pony club run events? What are their rules - better check that out before you do all the planning.

Jodhpurs and paddock boots are fine, but not super common around here in eventing except on really little kids. Jods in larger sizes can be hard to find, too. My mom forced me to wear them until I was thirteen, since I was still riding a small pony--I saved up and bought my own tall boots I think I would go with half chaps if it were my kid, since he's slightly less likely to outgrow the half chap part as quickly (the paddock boots will probably have to be replaced every six months anyway.) Plus that way he won't stand out, which is important for kids. And jods look funny without garter straps, which are a PITA!

I think Jodhpurs and paddock boots (WITH straps, please) look FANTASTIC on kids riding ponies, and that it's a crying shame these little children are wearing "grownup" attire so quickly. They are perfectly legal, just "not fashionable", to which I say PHOOEY and if I were the kid's parents I'd want to start a trend.

I wore jods and jodhpur boots until I was in my twenties, mostly for budgetary reasons but I really love that look.

Jods and straps are perfectly fine. You could also do paddock boots w/ smooth leather half chaps. I have two boys one used to event (15 y/o) but switched to jumpers and my other (who is 10 y/o) is hoping to be another Phillip Dutton. Have the parents go to Wal-Mart and buy a white button up shirt and tie to wear under the show coat. That's one of the great things about boys you don't have to spend a lot of $$ on the clothes - at least not until they get older and you are forced to buy what little they have in men's riding clothes that cost a fortune.

I think Jodhpurs and paddock boots (WITH straps, please) look FANTASTIC on kids riding ponies, and that it's a crying shame these little children are wearing "grownup" attire so quickly. They are perfectly legal, just "not fashionable", to which I say PHOOEY and if I were the kid's parents I'd want to start a trend.

I wore jods and jodhpur boots until I was in my twenties, mostly for budgetary reasons but I really love that look.

Agree with DW. My kids evented in Jod/paddocks with garter straps till they had a growth spurt (they tend to look silly in them once they are taller).

I saw a reasonable number of jods/paddocks at the FHI starter last weekend. I would say either that or ditto the paddock/legal half chap advice. Rest sounds great. Looking forward to seeing boy and blond pony out and about

My daughter wore jods and paddock boots until she was 5'6" at the age of thirteen. Once her foot stopped growing we got her tall dress boots....but her legs were so long none of the off the shelf boots were tall enough. This year at the age of 16 we finally got her custom ordered boots.

When scribing at events as well as USDF shows, the dressage judges often oohed and ahhed over the kids in paddock boots. Some people in pony club who didn't know better told us once she was a C she had to have tall boots, we just ignored them...no way was I putting my eleven year old in tall boots.

To be perfectly honest at that age some kids' "confirmation" can make fitting them into appropriate show clothes a bit tricky..so I would keep all the options open and just see what fits them the best - be it tall boots, paddocks w/ 1/2 chaps(smooth grain - legal), or jods w/ boot straps.

As a note I saw a young boy at Seneca one year sporting paddocks w/ straps he seemed pretty much the Jr. Professional as I saw him on several different ponies... he was smashing little rider..

make sure they are "boy" boots. Mountian horse was manly enough for my kid. Even though there was a time that I could fit him into ladies paddock boots and they are the same as mens except for the label on the box...he died--the first time I tried that. For some reason I could find the ladies on sale...but never the guys. Go figure.

A second vote on ask HIM what he wants to wear. He won't look silly in tall boots, may be fine in paddocks and garters, think he can wear paddocks and "tall-boot-like" half-chaps. And to the poster who commented about Cs wearing tall boots - remember in Pony Club it's also about caring for your equipment and attire correctly. If I remember rightly, one of the C-3 standards used to involve "correctly inserted boot trees"...

And to the poster who commented about Cs wearing tall boots - remember in Pony Club it's also about caring for your equipment and attire correctly. If I remember rightly, one of the C-3 standards used to involve "correctly inserted boot trees"...

And what does this have to do with requiring eleven year olds to wear tall boots? However, it is not one of the standards in the C ratings, just could get points against you at the rallies if you happen to have tall boots and no boot trees. Since she has her B rating it obviously was not held against her that her mother refused to spend several hundred dollars every couple months as her feet kept growing.

Wouldn't jodhpurs and paddock boots be illegal? I don't think the rulebook makes an exception for kids, and you might as well be safe? Twelve is sort of the borderline age where even in the hunter ring, you would be graduating to field boots anyway...

A second vote on ask HIM what he wants to wear. He won't look silly in tall boots, may be fine in paddocks and garters, think he can wear paddocks and "tall-boot-like" half-chaps. And to the poster who commented about Cs wearing tall boots - remember in Pony Club it's also about caring for your equipment and attire correctly. If I remember rightly, one of the C-3 standards used to involve "correctly inserted boot trees"...

Ha ha I'd flunk that test as many a time my boot trees were rolled up magazines...

As far as asking him what he wants... I'd forget that too - what happens if he decides he wants tall boots and all he can find or fit into at this point is paddocks and 1/2 chaps... or visa versa.. If you hit the jackpot and find tall boots that fit & he's got paddocks & 1/2 chaps (assume he's riding in some form of boot right now) then I'd asked which one he likes best... but not before..